Shen Xian returned to the Rainfall Pavilion and headed straight for the spirit spring.

Sensing his presence, the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise slowly surfaced from the bottom of the spring.

“Big guy,” Shen Xian crouched down and lightly tapped its shell with his fingertip. “I can’t get the Purple Immortal Ganoderma for now, but I have a Purple Cloud Ganoderma. What do you think?”

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise blinked its beady eyes, then suddenly opened its mouth and blew a string of bubbles, conveying a distinct sense of dissatisfaction through its spiritual sense.

Shen Xian frowned.

“Why are you so picky?”

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise looked aggrieved.

It wasn’t that it was truly being picky; it was just that entering the Ancient Ruins absolutely required the potency of a genuine Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

Shen Xian understood this too. He fell into deep thought.

“For a Purple Cloud Ganoderma to transform into a Purple Immortal Ganoderma, it requires time to accumulate medicinal efficacy. During that period, it must be ensured that it isn’t affected by external factors. Do I really have to wait several decades?”

He shook his head. By that time, it would be far too late.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. A glint of inspiration flashed in his eyes.

That’s right!

Shen Xian suddenly recalled a specific item.

When he had previously given Wei Zhaoli a gift, he had received a high-grade spirit treasure in return—one capable of accelerating the growth of spirit plants.

Wasn’t that just perfect?

He could just take one plant and forcefully accelerate its growth, couldn’t he?

Shen Xian immediately had a goal in mind, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He looked back at the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise before him and said irritably, “When we get to the Godfiend Battlefield, if you don’t find me a dozen or so good items, I’ll definitely starve you for a few days.”

He had gone to great pains for this Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

Gurgle—

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise blew a few bubbles and sank back to the bottom of the spring.

The next day, a message arrived from Wei Zhaoli.

She had already settled matters with the Spirit Plant Hall; Shen Xian just needed to go and report in.

Being unfamiliar with the place, Shen Xian went directly next door.

In the neighboring courtyard, Wang Yu was practicing his sword techniques. This inner sect disciple, a half-step Golden Core cultivator, also yearned for the Godfiend Battlefield and didn’t want to slack off.

“Accompany me to the Spirit Plant Hall,” Shen Xian said, leaning casually against the courtyard gate.

“Understood, Young Master.” Wang Yu sheathed his sword and formed a hand seal to sweep away the sweat from his body.

Inside the Spirit Plant Hall, sandalwood incense wafted gently.

“This must be Third Young Master Shen?” A gaunt steward walked over, a fake smile plastered on his face. “Senior Sister Wei specifically instructed us to arrange an easy task for you.”

He deliberately raised his voice on the word “easy,” causing the surrounding disciples to glance over.

Although the previous gossip storm had subsided, these disciples’ jealousy and resentment toward Shen Xian had not dissipated in their hearts.

“I heard you’ll be tending to the Purple Cloud Ganoderma?” The steward stroked his beard, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. “This job isn’t simple; it requires precise spiritual energy control…”

The implication was clear: a Qi Refining Realm disciple probably couldn’t handle it.

Shen Xian’s expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t detected the sarcasm in the words.

Seeing this, the steward added with a mocking tone, “But since it’s Senior Sister Wei’s arrangement, Young Master Shen must surely have exceptional abilities.”

He deliberately paused. “It’s just that this Purple Cloud Ganoderma is extremely delicate. If anything were to go wrong…”

“Stop wasting words. Just lead the way,” Wang Yu couldn’t stand it any longer and snapped angrily from the side.

The steward’s face stiffened, then he sneered. “Then please follow me.”

As he turned, he muttered under his breath, “Someone who acknowledges a Qi Refining cultivator as his young master, yet still acts so arrogantly…”

Wang Yu heard this and burned with rage. He was about to erupt when Shen Xian stopped him with a calm look.

Passing through several layers of restrictions, they arrived before a medicinal field shrouded in dense spiritual energy.

The steward pointed to one area. “This is the Purple Cloud Ganoderma field. It needs to be irrigated with spirit spring water three times daily, and also…”

“What are you dawdling for? Get lost already.” Wang Yu snatched the jade slip containing the instructions from the other’s hand impatiently.

The steward’s face instantly turned beet red. But faced with a half-step Golden Core cultivator, he didn’t dare utter another word and could only slink away with his tail between his legs.

“Let’s see how you fulfill your contribution,” he muttered resentfully as he left.

“Young Master, don’t worry.” Wang Yu rolled up his sleeves, spiritual light flickering at his fingertips. “Leave this small matter to me…”

With the methods of a half-step Golden Core cultivator, taking care of these spirit plants was more than sufficient.

But before he could finish speaking, he saw Shen Xian deftly dig up an intact Purple Cloud Ganoderma plant, pocket it, turn around, and leave.

“Huh? Young Master?” Wang Yu stood frozen in place, his fingers still glowing with spiritual light, looking like a quail struck by lightning. “This… this spirit field…”

I was just being polite; how could you take me seriously?

“I’ll give you a jar of Drunken Immortal Wine,” Shen Xian waved without looking back.

Wang Yu’s eyes instantly lit up like a hungry wolf spotting meat. “Alright! Take care on your way back!”

His change of expression was faster than flipping a book.

Rubbing his hands together gleefully, he began planning how to enjoy that jar of century-old vintage that evening. As for taking care of the spirit field? With his cultivation, he could handle it easily!

Leaving the spirit field behind, Shen Xian returned to Rainfall Pavilion.

After confirming no one was paying attention, he planted the stolen Purple Cloud Ganoderma next to the spirit spring.

This type of spirit plant relied on spiritual energy to survive. As long as there was a continuous supply of spiritual energy, it could keep growing; placed here, there was no worry about it withering.

Next, he retrieved the high-grade spirit treasure—the Myriad Spirits Heavenly Soil Map—from his system space.

The moment the scroll unfurled, all spiritual energy around the spirit spring seemed to pause momentarily.

It was an ancient painting about three feet square. Within it were rolling mountains and hills, winding rivers dotted with countless spirit fields and medicinal gardens.

Most miraculously, the scenes within the painting were slowly flowing amidst swirling clouds and mist. Faintly visible were spirit plants growing and withering as if it were a miniature world.

Truly worthy of being a high-grade spirit treasure… Shen Xian lightly traced the scroll with his fingertip, sensing the vast vitality contained within.

Shen Xian controlled the Myriad Spirits Heavenly Soil Map to settle before the Purple Cloud Ganoderma. He concentrated spiritual energy at his fingertip and gently touched the painting.

Suddenly, the speed of the sun and moon rotation within the painting drastically accelerated. Emerald green spiritual light surged from the scroll like spring rain, sprinkling onto the Purple Cloud Ganoderma.

This… Shen Xian frowned slightly.

He had originally thought a high-grade spirit treasure accelerating growth should be instantaneous. Yet, he saw the Purple Cloud Ganoderma only tremble slightly. Its growth speed, although accelerated, was still far from transforming into a Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

He increased his spiritual energy output. The mountains and rivers within the painting operated even faster.

However, the change in the Purple Cloud Ganoderma remained slow. Only a faint golden luster appeared along the edges of its leaves.

Something’s not right… Shen Xian stopped his action and observed carefully.

Through his spiritual sense perception, he discovered the internal structure of the Purple Cloud Ganoderma was undergoing subtle changes. But this transformation needed to proceed step by step; forcibly accelerating it would instead damage the plant’s essence.

Calculating roughly, according to this speed, he needed to continuously accelerate its growth for at least a year and a half to achieve a perfect transformation into a Purple Immortal Ganoderma.

A year and a half… Shen Xian rubbed his temples.

This time was neither long nor short.

He glanced at the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise peeking from the spirit spring. The latter was watching him eagerly.

“What are you looking at?” Shen Xian said irritably. “Think high-grade spirit plants are cabbages? Change just like that?”

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise shrank its neck back and blew a string of aggrieved bubbles.

Shen Xian ignored it and continued accelerating the growth of the Purple Cloud Ganoderma.